<< >> NASA ASRS Report 743716, June 2007

A11 controller described unwanted situation when supervisor adjusted TRACON lighting; allegedly causing glare on radar displays.

Attributes
ACN	743716
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : a11.tracon
State Reference	AK
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 4 controller radar : 6 controller time certified in position1 : 2.5
ASRS Report	743716
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : a11.tracon

Narrative:

This is an unsafe condition report due to FAA management altering lighting in the anchorage TRACON (A11) with no approval or coordination. A supervisor entered the TRACON; took his keys to unlock the locking cover on the lighting rheostats and proceeded to turn the lights up to an unacceptably high level. He then closed and locked the light covers (all 3 of them) and left the facility for the day without saying anything to anyone. None of us in the operations quarters have a key to change the lighting; only this OM. The high light level put glare on all our radar scopes and caused everyone to have to change the gain on all their maps; alpha-numerics; range rings and such to be able to see our traffic. This endangered the flying public and it is an outrage. There was no coordination and no need to do this. This is simply one more example of FAA management 'taking back their rights' and exercising their power over their workforce.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR DESCRIBED UNWANTED SITUATION WHEN SUPVR ADJUSTED TRACON LIGHTING; ALLEGEDLY CAUSING GLARE ON RADAR DISPLAYS.

Narrative: THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION RPT DUE TO FAA MGMNT ALTERING LIGHTING IN THE ANCHORAGE TRACON (A11) WITH NO APPROVAL OR COORD. A SUPVR ENTERED THE TRACON; TOOK HIS KEYS TO UNLOCK THE LOCKING COVER ON THE LIGHTING RHEOSTATS AND PROCEEDED TO TURN THE LIGHTS UP TO AN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVEL. HE THEN CLOSED AND LOCKED THE LIGHT COVERS (ALL 3 OF THEM) AND LEFT THE FACILITY FOR THE DAY WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING TO ANYONE. NONE OF US IN THE OPS QUARTERS HAVE A KEY TO CHANGE THE LIGHTING; ONLY THIS OM. THE HIGH LIGHT LEVEL PUT GLARE ON ALL OUR RADAR SCOPES AND CAUSED EVERYONE TO HAVE TO CHANGE THE GAIN ON ALL THEIR MAPS; ALPHA-NUMERICS; RANGE RINGS AND SUCH TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUR TFC. THIS ENDANGERED THE FLYING PUBLIC AND IT IS AN OUTRAGE. THERE WAS NO COORD AND NO NEED TO DO THIS. THIS IS SIMPLY ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF FAA MGMNT 'TAKING BACK THEIR RIGHTS' AND EXERCISING THEIR POWER OVER THEIR WORKFORCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.